Mental Framework My basic philosophy (so far) Personally, I never want to stop learning. As an educator I hope to be able to teach not only information, but also the concepts of knowledge and wisdom through critical thinking and evaluation. I believe the ultimate goal of education, in very simple terms is for us to pass knowledge on from one generation to the next, so that each successive generation can be better off than the previous. In our present society there is so much information and so many opinions that we need to be able to crate a safe and truthful environment for all learners to thrive and grow. In schools, we need to not only prepare them for the curriculum examinations they will be required to take & pass, but also the lifelong skills they will need to succeed outside of an educational setting. Outside of school, we need to assist and encourage learners to continue learning and growing while trying to balance the responsibilities of life. There is always more to learn and as individuals, we should never stop learning. As educators, we should pass that knowledge on to our students no matter the age. Personal side note: we may be educators of students at any level regardless of age, race, gender, culture, language, geography or other barriers. As such, we need to understand that everything we do will affect the society in which we live and work. No matter where we are, what we teach, or to whom we teach, we are role models and leaders, not just teachers. Many things we may come across in this class and in others are written specifically for a K-12 classroom, however my personal educational philosophy is based on a more global perspective of education. For this class I tried to apply the principles we have talked about and design a graphic that can be used as a quick reference to the book. Below is the information for the book using MLA format. Woolfolk, Anita. Educational Psychology. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2010. Print.
I decided to keep my graphic as a circle/cycle to show that education is a continuous process. It can pass through each area in a smooth circle or jump around from block to block, but no matter what, the environment (real or imagined, internal or external) affects the teaching cycle.
Each of these pieces are only small building blocks meant to be a reference to additional materials. This is only meant to be a basic guide throughout my teaching/learning process.
The Teaching Cycle
Understand & get to know the student(s): Understand various theories of learning - Having a basic concept of the theories and their uses can help you guide students through the process of learning. It can help you identify their individual learning strengths and weaknesses. Identify learning styles - how students learn Identify learning preferences - how students learn best (MI) Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences - MI helps identify different abilities that might assist learning Sternberg's triarchic brain theory - A theory that believes intelligence is about life successes based on your own definitions within your social context (Analytic, creative, & practical intelligence) MacLean's triune brain theory - helps us understand how emotions affect how we learn (3 parts of the brain: Neocortex - logical/thinking; Limbic - emotional; Reptilian - automatic control)
Prepare: Identify and meet special needs students - know the laws and identify ways to help every type of student Vygotsky's zone of proximal development - the 'space' where advanced learning happens. Space between "Boring, no challenge" and "I'm not gonna try cause it's too hard" Differentiated instruction - based on the belief that one size DOES NOT fit all. Offer many different challenges to students and give them choices.
Instruct: Shaping - reinforce several small steps until you reach the desired behavior or result (B.F. Skinner - classical conditioning) Scaffolding - provide temporary assistance to students to get them to the next level and slowly back away. "I do it, you watch; I do it, you help; You do it, I'll help; You do it, I watch" Zone of proximal development - Encourage every student to learn just a bit more. Differentiated instruction - Offer different ways to learn the same lesson so you can help reach as many students as possible Assessment - Formative (before and during - not usually for a grade) and Summative (at the end - usually for a grade)
Practice/Review: Guided practice - allows the students to show that they understand the skills and knowledge as outlined by the lesson goals. Scaffolding - offer assistance to students as necessary, but let them attempt it on their own. Memory Flashing - Used with a graphic organizer, Look at it, remember as much as possible, put it away, then try to recreate it. Use 1-1-1-1 principle (revisit same graph 1 hour later, 1 day later, 1 week later, and 1 month later) Graduated difficulty - gives the students a choice of difficulty. It helps with assessment, scaffolding and differentiated instruction. Most difficult first - A way to assess if the student knows the materials without requiring them to do the busy work. Keeps it interesting to the advanced kids. Example: "If you can do these 5 really hard questions and get them completely correct, you will not have to do the homework" Must be offered to every student
Evaluate/research: Power thinking - what is your attitude toward your own learning? Self management - How do I keep the students engaged and interested & each them to stay involved? Self motivation - How do I encourage the students to want to learn? Adapt lessons as necessary - Is the lesson too easy or too hard? Should I speed it up? Give more examples? Behavior management - Are the students participating? Do they act like they understand? Grading - Quantitative statistics. Assign a number to what the student is showing they know. Know the different types of grading and what would work best for your classroom. Assessment - check to see if the students are learning the materials. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Reliability - consistency of test results Validity - degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure
Classroom Environment: Classroom Management - organizing the classroom to be most effective to the students Classroom Behavior - controlling problem students, keeping students interested and active,
Quick reference of people and where they can be found in the book.
Also listed are people of importance from the lecture notes.
People
Chapter
Page
Jean Piaget
1; 2
16-18; 31-42
Lev Vygotsky
1; 2
18; 42-48
Howard Gardner
4
115-117
Erik Erikson
1; 3
17-18; 83-87
Lawrence Kohlberg
3
98-100
Bronfenbrenner
1; 3
19; 66-67
Alfred Binet
4
118
Robert Sternberg
4
117-118
Paul MacLean
class discussion
-
Sigmund Freud
1
16-18
Bob Marzano
class discussion
-
Madeline Hunter
class discussion
-
Albert Bandura
6; 10
220; 348
Abraham Maslow
11
380
David Premack
6
208
Joeseph Renzulli
class discussion
-
Donald Treffinger
class discussion
-
B.F. Skinner
6
200-210
Review of basic concepts, ideas and people:
Freud
various theories on development and psychology.
Erikson
Theory of social development - Expanded on Freud's concepts, he identified 8 stages humans go through (& the ages these developments occur)
Piaget
Assimilation (fit new ideas into an existing framework) vs. Accommodation (change the framework to fit the new ideas)
Vygotsky
ZPD - space between what students know and what they don't; where advanced learning happens
Bronfenbrenner
Ecological Systems Theory - development reflects the influence of several environmental systems
Kohlberg
Stages of Moral Development - expands on Piaget's theory but adds a moral aspect.
Gardner
Multiple Intelligences - identified at least 8 natural abilities
Sternberg
Triarchic Theory or Intelligences - how well an individual deals with changes (componential, experiential, and practical)
perform a less desirable activity in order to later perform a desired one. (do your chores, you get to have a friend over etc)
Bandura
social cognitive theory - people serving as models (social) for self - directed learning (cognitive)
social learning theory - distinguished between acquisition of knowledge (learning) and observable performance based on that knowledge (behavior)
self-efficacy (your perceived ability) and self-concept (global concept including self-efficacy)
Maslow
Heirarchy of needs - developmental psychology model outlining stages of human need as it relates to personal development
Binet
Identified ways to measure school achievement and the intellectual skills students need to do well in school. Created the intelligence quotient (IQ test). Once brought to the US it was revised by Stanford University to become the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
B.F. Skinner
Operant (classical) conditioning
Shaping - rewarding small steps until you reach the desired results.
Marzano (class discussion)
Created the Dimensions of Learning Model - Learning to Learn
Educational researcher - Attention is your decision
Madeline Hunter (class discussion)
Lesson planning. She is the model many schools use when writing lesson plans
Chapter reviews:
1.) Learning, Teaching, and Educational Psychology
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
What is good teaching? - "occurs all over, not just in classrooms"
Is teaching and Art or a Science?
What is the role of educational psychology
2.)Cognitive Development and Language
Brain Development
Nature vs. Nurture
Piaget - theory of Cognitive Development
Assimilation - understanding something new by fitting it into what we already know
Accommodation - understanding something new by rearranging what is already known
4 Stages: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete0Operationsl, and Formal Operational
Vygotsky - Sociocultural Persepctive
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) - the middle stage between a learners current level (boring) and their potential level (too hard)
Diversity and convergences in cognitive development
Diversity in language development
4.) Learner Differences and Learning Needs
Gifted and talented students
What is Intellegence?
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences
Robert Sternberg's triarchic theory of successful intelligence
Alfred Binet - IQ tests
Flynn Effect - are we getting smarter?
Sex differences in in Intelligences
Learning styles and preferences
Students with disabilities (mental and physical)
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Act
IEP - Individualized Education Program
Least restrictive Environment
Section 504- prevents discrimination against people with disabilities
Gifted Students
6.) Behavioral Views of Learning
Understanding learning - "not limited to schools"
learning is not always intentional
learning occurs with experience - practical application
Contiguity - when 2 or more senses are used in the learning process
Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) - involuntary responses
Operant conditioning - B.F. Skinner - principles of classical conditioning account for only a small portion of learned behaviors
Reinforcement (any consequence that strengthens the behavior it follows. Can either be Positive reinforcement (good behavior = allowance) or Negative reinforcement (finish homework = less chores)
and Punishment (decreasing or suppressing behavior). Can be either Presentation Punishment (bad in school = give detention) or Removal Punishment (don't do homework = grounded)
Applied Behavior Analysis, AKA behavior modification- how to handle undesirable behavior
Premack Principle - a preferred activity can be an effective inforcer for a less-preferred activity (finish this homework and you can have friends over later)
Bandura - knowledge vs. behavior. Suggested we know more than we show. Incentives may affect performance.
7.) Cognitive Views of Learning
Comparing Cognitive and behavioral views of learning and memory
Adds the 'why' behind changing and reinforcing behaviors
Memory and Attention - how they work and tools to increase both in the classroom
Basic principles for reaching students (make it meaningful, images & illustrations, mnemonics, rote memorization)
Individual differences
8.) Complex Cognitive Process
Metacognition - people's awareness of their own cognition. 3 parts involved in this task:
-planning: deciding how much time to give to a task, which strategies to use, how to start, what resources to gather, what order to follow, what to skim and what to give the intense attention to, etc. (pg 270)
-monitoring: asking clarifying questions to make sure it makes sense, going too fast or too slow, etc
-evaluating: making judgments about processes and outcomes of thinking and learning.
Understanding differences in metacognition and how to apply these to various teaching strategies. (taking notes, highlighting, visual tools, reading strategies, etc)
Understanding students with learning disabilities.
Creativity, problem solving and critical thinking
Diversity and convergence in the cognitive process
10.) Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation
Social cognitive theory
Bandura - social learning theory (learning through observation), social cognitive theory (adds concern with cognitive factors), triarchic reciprocal casuality (explaination of behavior that emphasizes the mutual effects of the individual and environment on each other), Self-efficacy (what influences self-regulation- knowledge, motivation & volition) & Modeling (learning by others' experiences)
Applying social cognitive theory
Teacher's sense of self-efficacy
Self regulated learning
Teaching toward self-efficacy and self-regulated learning
11.) Motivation in Learning and Teaching
Types of motivation - intrinsic (motivation because activities are rewards in and of themselves) and extrinsic (external rewards and punishments)
5 approaches to motivation: Behavioral, Humanistic, Cognitive, Social Cognitive Theory, Sociocultural Conceptions.
Maslow's heirarchy of needs.
Goals - help outline expectations and rewards. Keep students motivated
Beliefs of learning & self-perceptions (epistemological beliefs)
beliefs about ability
beliefs about causes & control
beliefs about self-worth
Interests, Curiosity, Emotions and Anxiety - ways to reach every student
Supporting autonomy and recognizing accomplishment
Grouping, evaluation and time
Diversity in encouragement to learn
12.) Creative Learning Environmnets
Classroom organization to affect classroom management, behaviors and cooperative environment
Getting started: first week of class
Maintaining a positive environment
Discipline problems
Bullying and cyber-bullying (pg 436)
Violence in schools; warning signs, prevention, counseling, confrontation, discipline, and diagnosis.
Diversity and Convergences in learning environments
14.) 5 most important concepts A.) Assessment - should be done before and during the education process (Formative), as well as after a test is complete (summative). This allows the teacher to understand where each student is before the lesson, during and after. Tests should not be the end of the assessment. Teachers need to know what students are actually understanding and what they are not so that they can recommend additional tutoring or instruction etc. B.) Testing - there are a variety of ways that tests can be done to measure students' understanding. Using true/false, multiple choice, matching or even short answers (objective testing), the teacher is able to test a large amount of general information in a short amount of time. This allows the teacher a quick glimplse into the students' level of understanding and/or memorization. This can be a very useful tool in a classroom, but I feel it should not be used exclusively. The book discusses how professionals and professors do not like this approach, yet it is the predominant approach used in the elementary and secondary public school systems. Another form of testing is Essay testing where the student is given a question and not only do they have to answer the question, they usually have to do it in a certain amount of time/length, and explain the why behind their response. This form is often a better gauge of the students' level of understanding but it only tests a small amount of the curriculum and requires a high level of teacher involvement. Realistically, a classroom approach that combines both testing concepts would work best for both the student and the teacher. C.) Teaching and Evaluating Performances - The book suggests that since our goals and objectives are to teach students to be critical thinkers, we should be teaching and testing them critically. If we want students to perform a certain way, we should be teaching them to perform that way and them testing them with a practical application. Using rubrics can be a great way for the students and teachers to fairly evaluate a students performance. This should be used throughout the entire teaching process so that the students can constantly evaluate their own performance and make improvements along the way. D.) Grading - needs to be fair and consistent and needs to give feedback throughout the entire teaching process. One thing to take into consideration when grading, you cannot grade students differently based on level of effort, unless that is part of your grading for everyone. Also you cannot grade differently based on diversity. If this is an issue in your school, you might need to re-evaluate your grading procedures so that it makes it fair for everyone and you don't put yourself in a position where a parent or administrator can question you. E.) Types of Scoring - Using various methods such as mean, median, mode, percentiles and deviations are all great tools. Be cautious of the parent or administrator who uses only one method or doesn't understand what the number means in relation to your class. These numbers and calculations are all great tools to use to understand things, but they are not always the best measure, especially if only one is used taken out of context.
My basic philosophy (so far)
Personally, I never want to stop learning. As an educator I hope to be able to teach not only information, but also the concepts of knowledge and wisdom through critical thinking and evaluation.
I believe the ultimate goal of education, in very simple terms is for us to pass knowledge on from one generation to the next, so that each successive generation can be better off than the previous.
In our present society there is so much information and so many opinions that we need to be able to crate a safe and truthful environment for all learners to thrive and grow. In schools, we need to not only prepare them for the curriculum examinations they will be required to take & pass, but also the lifelong skills they will need to succeed outside of an educational setting. Outside of school, we need to assist and encourage learners to continue learning and growing while trying to balance the responsibilities of life.
There is always more to learn and as individuals, we should never stop learning. As educators, we should pass that knowledge on to our students no matter the age.
Personal side note: we may be educators of students at any level regardless of age, race, gender, culture, language, geography or other barriers. As such, we need to understand that everything we do will affect the society in which we live and work. No matter where we are, what we teach, or to whom we teach, we are role models and leaders, not just teachers. Many things we may come across in this class and in others are written specifically for a K-12 classroom, however my personal educational philosophy is based on a more global perspective of education. For this class I tried to apply the principles we have talked about and design a graphic that can be used as a quick reference to the book. Below is the information for the book using MLA format.
Woolfolk, Anita. Educational Psychology. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2010. Print.
I decided to keep my graphic as a circle/cycle to show that education is a continuous process. It can pass through each area in a smooth circle or jump around from block to block, but no matter what, the environment (real or imagined, internal or external) affects the teaching cycle.
Each of these pieces are only small building blocks meant to be a reference to additional materials. This is only meant to be a basic guide throughout my teaching/learning process.
The Teaching Cycle
Understand & get to know the student(s):
Understand various theories of learning - Having a basic concept of the theories and their uses can help you guide students through the process of learning. It can help you identify their individual learning strengths and weaknesses.
Identify learning styles - how students learn
Identify learning preferences - how students learn best (MI)
Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences - MI helps identify different abilities that might assist learning
Sternberg's triarchic brain theory - A theory that believes intelligence is about life successes based on your own definitions within your social context (Analytic, creative, & practical intelligence)
MacLean's triune brain theory - helps us understand how emotions affect how we learn (3 parts of the brain: Neocortex - logical/thinking; Limbic - emotional; Reptilian - automatic control)
Prepare:
Identify and meet special needs students - know the laws and identify ways to help every type of student
Vygotsky's zone of proximal development - the 'space' where advanced learning happens. Space between "Boring, no challenge" and "I'm not gonna try cause it's too hard"
Differentiated instruction - based on the belief that one size DOES NOT fit all. Offer many different challenges to students and give them choices.
Instruct:
Shaping - reinforce several small steps until you reach the desired behavior or result (B.F. Skinner - classical conditioning)
Scaffolding - provide temporary assistance to students to get them to the next level and slowly back away. "I do it, you watch; I do it, you help; You do it, I'll help; You do it, I watch"
Zone of proximal development - Encourage every student to learn just a bit more.
Differentiated instruction - Offer different ways to learn the same lesson so you can help reach as many students as possible
Assessment - Formative (before and during - not usually for a grade) and Summative (at the end - usually for a grade)
Practice/Review:
Guided practice - allows the students to show that they understand the skills and knowledge as outlined by the lesson goals.
Scaffolding - offer assistance to students as necessary, but let them attempt it on their own.
Memory Flashing - Used with a graphic organizer, Look at it, remember as much as possible, put it away, then try to recreate it. Use 1-1-1-1 principle (revisit same graph 1 hour later, 1 day later, 1 week later, and 1 month later)
Graduated difficulty - gives the students a choice of difficulty. It helps with assessment, scaffolding and differentiated instruction.
Most difficult first - A way to assess if the student knows the materials without requiring them to do the busy work. Keeps it interesting to the advanced kids. Example: "If you can do these 5 really hard questions and get them completely correct, you will not have to do the homework" Must be offered to every student
Evaluate/research:
Power thinking - what is your attitude toward your own learning?
Self management - How do I keep the students engaged and interested & each them to stay involved?
Self motivation - How do I encourage the students to want to learn?
Adapt lessons as necessary - Is the lesson too easy or too hard? Should I speed it up? Give more examples?
Behavior management - Are the students participating? Do they act like they understand?
Grading - Quantitative statistics. Assign a number to what the student is showing they know. Know the different types of grading and what would work best for your classroom.
Assessment - check to see if the students are learning the materials. Quantitative vs. Qualitative
Reliability - consistency of test results
Validity - degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure
Classroom Environment:
Classroom Management - organizing the classroom to be most effective to the students
Classroom Behavior - controlling problem students, keeping students interested and active,
Quick reference of people and where they can be found in the book.
Also listed are people of importance from the lecture notes.
People
Chapter
Page
Review of basic concepts, ideas and people:
Freud
- various theories on development and psychology.
Erikson- Theory of social development - Expanded on Freud's concepts, he identified 8 stages humans go through (& the ages these developments occur)
Piaget- Assimilation (fit new ideas into an existing framework) vs. Accommodation (change the framework to fit the new ideas)
Vygotsky- ZPD - space between what students know and what they don't; where advanced learning happens
Bronfenbrenner- Ecological Systems Theory - development reflects the influence of several environmental systems
Kohlberg- Stages of Moral Development - expands on Piaget's theory but adds a moral aspect.
Gardner- Multiple Intelligences - identified at least 8 natural abilities
Sternberg- Triarchic Theory or Intelligences - how well an individual deals with changes (componential, experiential, and practical)
MacLean- Triune Brain Theory (Neocortex - logical/thinking; Limbic - emotions; Reptilian - automatic center)
Flynn Effect- shift in average scores on IQ tests
Premack Principle- perform a less desirable activity in order to later perform a desired one. (do your chores, you get to have a friend over etc)
Bandura- social cognitive theory - people serving as models (social) for self - directed learning (cognitive)
- social learning theory - distinguished between acquisition of knowledge (learning) and observable performance based on that knowledge (behavior)
- self-efficacy (your perceived ability) and self-concept (global concept including self-efficacy)
Maslow- Heirarchy of needs - developmental psychology model outlining stages of human need as it relates to personal development
Binet- Identified ways to measure school achievement and the intellectual skills students need to do well in school. Created the intelligence quotient (IQ test). Once brought to the US it was revised by Stanford University to become the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
B.F. Skinner- Operant (classical) conditioning
- Shaping - rewarding small steps until you reach the desired results.
Marzano (class discussion)- Created the Dimensions of Learning Model - Learning to Learn
- Educational researcher - Attention is your decision
Madeline Hunter (class discussion)Chapter reviews:
1.) Learning, Teaching, and Educational Psychology
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
What is good teaching? - "occurs all over, not just in classrooms"
Is teaching and Art or a Science?
What is the role of educational psychology
2.)Cognitive Development and Language
Brain Development
Nature vs. Nurture
Piaget - theory of Cognitive Development
Assimilation - understanding something new by fitting it into what we already know
Accommodation - understanding something new by rearranging what is already known
4 Stages: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete0Operationsl, and Formal Operational
Vygotsky - Sociocultural Persepctive
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) - the middle stage between a learners current level (boring) and their potential level (too hard)
Diversity and convergences in cognitive development
Diversity in language development
4.) Learner Differences and Learning Needs
Gifted and talented students
What is Intellegence?
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences
Robert Sternberg's triarchic theory of successful intelligence
Alfred Binet - IQ tests
Flynn Effect - are we getting smarter?
Sex differences in in Intelligences
Learning styles and preferences
Students with disabilities (mental and physical)
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Act
IEP - Individualized Education Program
Least restrictive Environment
Section 504- prevents discrimination against people with disabilities
Gifted Students
6.) Behavioral Views of Learning
Understanding learning - "not limited to schools"
learning is not always intentional
learning occurs with experience - practical application
Contiguity - when 2 or more senses are used in the learning process
Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) - involuntary responses
Operant conditioning - B.F. Skinner - principles of classical conditioning account for only a small portion of learned behaviors
Reinforcement (any consequence that strengthens the behavior it follows. Can either be Positive reinforcement (good behavior = allowance) or Negative reinforcement (finish homework = less chores)
and Punishment (decreasing or suppressing behavior). Can be either Presentation Punishment (bad in school = give detention) or Removal Punishment (don't do homework = grounded)
Applied Behavior Analysis, AKA behavior modification- how to handle undesirable behavior
Premack Principle - a preferred activity can be an effective inforcer for a less-preferred activity (finish this homework and you can have friends over later)
Bandura - knowledge vs. behavior. Suggested we know more than we show. Incentives may affect performance.
7.) Cognitive Views of Learning
Comparing Cognitive and behavioral views of learning and memory
Adds the 'why' behind changing and reinforcing behaviors
Memory and Attention - how they work and tools to increase both in the classroom
Basic principles for reaching students (make it meaningful, images & illustrations, mnemonics, rote memorization)
Individual differences
8.) Complex Cognitive Process
Metacognition - people's awareness of their own cognition. 3 parts involved in this task:
-planning: deciding how much time to give to a task, which strategies to use, how to start, what resources to gather, what order to follow, what to skim and what to give the intense attention to, etc. (pg 270)
-monitoring: asking clarifying questions to make sure it makes sense, going too fast or too slow, etc
-evaluating: making judgments about processes and outcomes of thinking and learning.
Understanding differences in metacognition and how to apply these to various teaching strategies. (taking notes, highlighting, visual tools, reading strategies, etc)
Understanding students with learning disabilities.
Creativity, problem solving and critical thinking
Diversity and convergence in the cognitive process
10.) Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation
Social cognitive theory
Bandura - social learning theory (learning through observation), social cognitive theory (adds concern with cognitive factors), triarchic reciprocal casuality (explaination of behavior that emphasizes the mutual effects of the individual and environment on each other), Self-efficacy (what influences self-regulation- knowledge, motivation & volition) & Modeling (learning by others' experiences)
Applying social cognitive theory
Teacher's sense of self-efficacy
Self regulated learning
Teaching toward self-efficacy and self-regulated learning
11.) Motivation in Learning and Teaching
Types of motivation - intrinsic (motivation because activities are rewards in and of themselves) and extrinsic (external rewards and punishments)
5 approaches to motivation: Behavioral, Humanistic, Cognitive, Social Cognitive Theory, Sociocultural Conceptions.
Maslow's heirarchy of needs.
Goals - help outline expectations and rewards. Keep students motivated
Beliefs of learning & self-perceptions (epistemological beliefs)
- beliefs about ability
- beliefs about causes & control
- beliefs about self-worth
Interests, Curiosity, Emotions and Anxiety - ways to reach every studentSupporting autonomy and recognizing accomplishment
Grouping, evaluation and time
Diversity in encouragement to learn
12.) Creative Learning Environmnets
Classroom organization to affect classroom management, behaviors and cooperative environment
Getting started: first week of class
Maintaining a positive environment
Discipline problems
Bullying and cyber-bullying (pg 436)
Violence in schools; warning signs, prevention, counseling, confrontation, discipline, and diagnosis.
Diversity and Convergences in learning environments
14.) 5 most important concepts
A.) Assessment - should be done before and during the education process (Formative), as well as after a test is complete (summative). This allows the teacher to understand where each student is before the lesson, during and after. Tests should not be the end of the assessment. Teachers need to know what students are actually understanding and what they are not so that they can recommend additional tutoring or instruction etc.
B.) Testing - there are a variety of ways that tests can be done to measure students' understanding. Using true/false, multiple choice, matching or even short answers (objective testing), the teacher is able to test a large amount of general information in a short amount of time. This allows the teacher a quick glimplse into the students' level of understanding and/or memorization. This can be a very useful tool in a classroom, but I feel it should not be used exclusively. The book discusses how professionals and professors do not like this approach, yet it is the predominant approach used in the elementary and secondary public school systems. Another form of testing is Essay testing where the student is given a question and not only do they have to answer the question, they usually have to do it in a certain amount of time/length, and explain the why behind their response. This form is often a better gauge of the students' level of understanding but it only tests a small amount of the curriculum and requires a high level of teacher involvement. Realistically, a classroom approach that combines both testing concepts would work best for both the student and the teacher.
C.) Teaching and Evaluating Performances - The book suggests that since our goals and objectives are to teach students to be critical thinkers, we should be teaching and testing them critically. If we want students to perform a certain way, we should be teaching them to perform that way and them testing them with a practical application. Using rubrics can be a great way for the students and teachers to fairly evaluate a students performance. This should be used throughout the entire teaching process so that the students can constantly evaluate their own performance and make improvements along the way.
D.) Grading - needs to be fair and consistent and needs to give feedback throughout the entire teaching process. One thing to take into consideration when grading, you cannot grade students differently based on level of effort, unless that is part of your grading for everyone. Also you cannot grade differently based on diversity. If this is an issue in your school, you might need to re-evaluate your grading procedures so that it makes it fair for everyone and you don't put yourself in a position where a parent or administrator can question you.
E.) Types of Scoring - Using various methods such as mean, median, mode, percentiles and deviations are all great tools. Be cautious of the parent or administrator who uses only one method or doesn't understand what the number means in relation to your class. These numbers and calculations are all great tools to use to understand things, but they are not always the best measure, especially if only one is used taken out of context.